Pretend, Find, Conquer
by iiilo
Summary: AU Will Graham is not what everyone thinks he is. Will Hannibal Lecter meet his high expectations? - Rewrite of my story on ao3 with the same title. A/O/B, slash, mpreg.
1. Chapter 1

„Tell me your design, tell me who you are". Will said to the class, giving them something to think about, hoping they can put their thoughts on paper and that it would be acceptable for grading. He's quite tired of reading the same dry formulas almost copied straight from some of the easy accessible and unfortunately, pretty lousy books on psychology.

He would know something about it being the one teaching the future FBI agents how to profile criminals. Himself being one of the most efficient criminal profilers on FBI payroll some time ago, but deemed too unstable to actually become a regular agent. Not that they knew that he had manipulated that test on purpose.

Will had smelt one of them, Jack Crawford, the head of BAU located here at Quantico, heading towards the omega's classroom at a rapid pace. _He's not here for one of the trainees that's sure_. While not the worst batch Will taught, _they weren't the brightest either_.

While he was focusing on his thoughts the after mentioned alpha was quick to appear in his peripheral vision, standing near the doorway, but not stepping closer. _He must've timed his entrance close to the end of my class_, Will thought with mirth, _too bad we're running a little late_.

He already guessed the reason for Crawford's visit. _They haven't really been acquainted, so it's definitely not a social call. That leaves work. And the most recent case was a string of 'abductions' all over the country_. It attracted a lot of public attention considering the fact, that the abducted girls were young, pretty and of course no one knew if they were still alive, _except Will_ that is.

The omega ended the class and without further thought to Crawford, who was clearly seeking his attention, started putting his materials back into his bag.

"Mr. Graham" says Jack having already moved close to his desk. He sees some lingering students who wanted to talk to him about the assignment or are just curious about the agent, but after a glare from Crawford they quickly flee from his classroom. Will puts his glasses on, they're not prescription, but rather serving as a barrier form the outside world, mainly people.

The alpha clearly doesn't like the inattention to his person and brings his body even closer to the teacher. "Special Agent Jack Crawford" he offers his hand in a handshake which Will reciprocates still not looking into the alphas eyes.

"We've met" Will says and starts packing his bag at an even faster rate than before. His omega instincts telling me to flee from this alpha, but can't without seeming suspicious_. I have to play the good little omega who can't be seen fleeing from the 'good' alpha. _

"I won't beat around the bush, I've heard you can empathize with narcissists and sociopaths" the agent says, thinking he can convince Will to do something he doesn't want to by releasing his alpha pheromones. _Unfortunately for him I can easily overthrow his pathetic biological 'influence'._

"I can empathize with anybody, it's less to do with a personality disorder than an active imagination" the omega says with bite, and tilts his head a little to slide so his glasses down to block Jack's searching eyes. He can feel Crawford's amusement and see his hand reaching out to his face. _No, no, no…don't you dare! _However his mental plight goes unanswered as the alpha thinks he has all the power in their 'conversation' and Will cannot do anything but try to flinch away.

"May I?" he asks and without waiting for the answer pushes the glasses making the omega meet his eyes. _Oh, how I want to rip them from his stupid face._

"Can I borrow your imagination?" _and here it is, I knew that he would come looking for me since I've heard about the first 'kidnapped' girl. _

All very mall of America with their pale skin and long, dark hair. _Of course he comes, since his little protégé Miriam Lass disappeared he has to search for a new hound to track his killers._

It is tempting to feel the rush from the kills without dirtying his own hands, _not that he doesn't like to do the deed himself_ but lately he just feels like he lacks an audience, someone who will see the same beauty that he does. _A companion, a mate_ his mind whispers, but he hasn't met one compatible enough, deserving enough. Because there is what to deserve, Will being what he is could be picky about his choice but there is a serious lack of alphas that can reach his high standards.

"Eight girls abducted from eight different campuses" Jack drones on "Eight? I thought there were seven" Will interrupted him. "There were." He says pleased to hear the _fake_ shock in the profilers voice, not that he knows better.

"When did you tag the eight?" the omega asks pretending to be interested. _Please, if he took seven it was just a matter of time till he killed the eight. Oh yes he kills them and then eats them because he can't kill his golden ticket yet, his daughter going away to college and leaving her cannibal daddy home alone, how sad._

What everyone thinks is that every omega is compelled by his or her biology to be submissive, compassionate and kind to all, especially their own offspring. _That is not the case__. _At least with Will. He is different, always was.

His parents were both betas and completely normal, at least his father. His mother left them when Will was about 3 years old and she never tried contacting them. In his thirty years on this earth he never met another like him.

More in control of his own instincts with considerably stronger sense of smell, which he sometimes abhorred. _Especially being in the range of Mrs. Marlowe perfume._ A little stronger and faster than average, having seemingly faster healing rate. Not that anyone knew, except his father.

All this advantages and yet he wasn't _content_. More in control, but still feeling the need. _The need to find a suitable mate_. He was considered an omega spinster already. The regular omegas take pride in being desirable and usually mate quickly, most commonly between ages 16 and 24. This makes him less attractive to the alphas that are looking for a very young and easily submitable mate. Will looks younger than his actual age and is scarily often mistaken for one of his students, but that particular kind of alpha quickly backs off after learning his age.

"About three minutes before I walked into your lecture hall" the alpha answers looking for a reaction. Not to disappoint Will puts a look of shock on his face with a pinch of fear in it for good measure, _like I'd fear for the girls life_.


	2. Chapter 2

„For the last time Mr. Crawford, as you well know, I'm not an agent nor am I an active consultant for the FBI. I retired from the field to completely devote my time and abilities to teaching. I can look at the pictures from the crime scenes and offer the agency some insights, but you won't talk me into field work. You have enough fully trained agents for that." Will couldn't believe the nerve of this man. He heard from Alana, that Crawford was difficult to deal with, but this exceeded even his wildest expectations. This man was trying to convince him to follow him from one crime scene to another and perform his 'party trick' whenever the agent wishes him to. Like a trained circus monkey, _ridiculous_.

"You forgot to mention your writing career" grumbled Crawford.

Ah, yes, his books. The standard monograph on determining time of death by insect activity published through the Georgetown University, thanks to a friend of Alana, was a success in a narrow circle of professionals. However the next two: "The norm – only not" and "Serial" were real hits with a wide group of readers, from psychology professors like Dr. Bloom to your average stay at home omega.

It's a funny story, really, that it all began with a set up masterminded by Alana. She seeing Will's unsuccessful attempts at finding a mate, came up with an idea to arrange him a date with her alpha colleague from Georgetown. The omega not at all aware of his friend's plan, thought that he was going to a simple lunch with his beta friend. Imagine his surprise at finding her sitting at a table set for three with an unknown alpha. Unfortunately as he thought at that moment, but as it turned out fortunately now, she spotted him before he could make a 'tactical' retreat.

It wasn't that he didn't want to meet a potentially compatible partner. He just doesn't like to be set up.

In short as it turned out during their meeting, Damien, the alpha literature professor and him just didn't feel romantically inclined towards each other. That didn't prevent them from forming a sort of a companionship against evil ways of Alana Bloom, who managed to find an excuse to leave as soon as she introduced them. During the lunch they found out that they have a similar taste in literature and that they actually have read each other's works. As it turned out Damien's first papers were published through the university, but later, as his younger beta sister started to work as an editor for one of the major publishing companies, she convinced him to write something longer and for a wider public and let her publish it.

Her instinct was spot on. Damien's books soon found their way on the bestsellers lists and he thanked God that he didn't use his real name but an alias.

And Damien managed to convince Will, that he had a talent for writing too. His only observation was that Will shouldn't edit his little sarcastic comments that weren't present in his monograph but were evident and very charming, when he was telling Damien a story from one of his lectures. He said that readers will swarm to it as bees to honey.

After that he gave Will his sister's business card and made a polite exit promising to stay in touch and hoping to be one of the first ones to read Will's next work.

The omega didn't believe him at first but after some persuasion from Alana, he began to write his first book, a simple comparison of what people thought was a normal behavior and what he observed in the many people he met in his life. He didn't edit himself as Damien suggested and after giving it to the two Georgetown professors he knew and Mellissa, Damien's sister and now his editor for proof reading and receiving only positive feedback, he published it under an assumed name with Mellissa's publishing company.

It was an instant bestseller and he as well as the publisher made quite a profit since then. He doesn't have to work as a teacher anymore, but doesn't have a reason to quit either and with the rumor mill, he's the first to know what's going on in the FBI.

The second book aside from more fame and money brought some disgruntlement within the BAU, because of how he described the most notorious serial killers as ordinary people with extraordinary extracurricular activities and unusually strong desires. What didn't sit well with the unit was his take on the agents and police officers who worked on cases like that and the influence it had on their psyche, especially cases of cop or agent turned killer.

"Still, there are people's lives at stake here!" Will heard it for the third time already and still wasn't going to change his decision.

"I'm sorry, but I know as well as you do, that it's not good for me." The omega said in his 'resigned' tone. "You have Heimlich at Harvard and Bloom at Georgetown. They do the same thing I do. If you want to ask my opinion as a lecturer at the academy then my door is open. Goodbye."

He left quickly not waiting for a response. Crawford caught him after his last lecture and followed him right to the exit leading to the parking lot. The alpha finally realized he wasn't going to get his way and fortunately didn't follow him to his car.

To the agent it looked like a normal omega defense mechanism, backing out from aggressive confrontations, but that was what Will wanted it to look like.

Now he could walk to his car in peace. After his hugely successful first book, he celebrated by buying himself a new car. After a long search he found an ideal one. Taking Alana's example, he bought an electric Tesla S, it's not too flashy, extremely quiet and has a big trunk. As he mentioned before, ideal.

Pulling out of the parking lot he headed towards Baltimore, he had a few errands to take care of.

* * *

><p>Will didn't have any qualms about spending money. He wasn't poor growing up, his father having a normal blue collar job, making enough to live comfortably with his son and make regular payments into the omega's college fund. Now retired and living without worries in a luxurious house in Florida, complements of Will.<p>

As a popular author he had invitations to many glamorous events, hosted by and for the crème de la crème of the society. He didn't feel right in the designer shops, the shop assistants eating him with their eyes wasn't pleasant. He felt dirty after leaving them and wanted something that didn't left him feeling so exposed. That's why after being published he found himself a tailor.

An older woman, but still sharp in her chosen trade, one of, if not the best in Baltimore and the surrounding area. Visiting her started to be a pleasure as the woman was great at what she did and at how she did it.

Now he's just after the last fitting for his new suit, Eve, the tailor is in the back making the last corrections to his jacket as he lost a little weight in the abdominal area. That always happens about a month before his heat, just another quirk of his biology. He's perusing the little shop for new materials, all of them wonderful to the touch and in beautiful shades. The omega was just trying to decide between two ties, when he heard the ring of the bell signaling entrance of probably another customer.

"Eve is in the back, she'll be out in a couple of minutes." He said absentmindedly, still trying to decide which tie will look better with his other suits, the silk one with checkers in different shades of blue or in different shades of grey.

"Dark blue." Will hears a slightly accented voice behind him and turns slightly towards the voice.

"Go with the blue."

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><p>Hi, readers:) Hope you liked it, please review.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

"How did you…?" Will started to ask as he turned to see the man.

And what a man it was. An alpha of course, even without his scent, masked by the natural aroma of the shop, reaching Will, he couldn't be anything else. Tall and broad, but not burly, ashen blonde hair and uniquely handsome face.

"Excuse me, that was a little rude, but the blue tie would contrast beautifully with your complexion." The alpha moved closer, not as if stalking a prey, but approaching a frightened animal. "My name is Hannibal Lecter." He said extending his hand towards Will.

With the blonde closer, he could take a better look at his features. The omega's eyes trailed from sculpted chin, through curious mouth, straight nose and high cheekbones, to a very exceptional pair of eyes, dark brown, but in the right light seeming almost burgundy. And the scent, it was simply _exquisite_.

"Will Graham." He returned, taking the offered hand, still staring into the extraordinarily colored eyes, transfixed. Even more, when his hand was brought to the sensual mouth of the alpha and received a slight brush of lips against it. He heard, _felt on his hand _the deep breath taken by the taller man, taking his scent in.

"Enchanted." And he looked like he was. They both were. The magnetic pull unmistakable between them.

"I see you've met."

* * *

><p>After Eve interrupted their little moment, they've actually jumped a little and Hannibal reluctantly let go of the omega's soft hand. He berated himself for not paying better attention to his surroundings. But how could he, when a being like this was put into his path.<p>

He encountered many beautiful omegas and betas, most of them thrown at him by their high society parents, looking for the best or should he dare say, the most influential match for their offspring. But this… this angel if they even exist was by far the loveliest person he'd ever seen.

This was what his uncle meant, when he said that Hannibal will know right away that he met his perfect mate. His father and uncle were lucky enough to find their counterpart quite young, well in comparison to Hannibal. He first started looking actively right after his 17th birthday, the day that he presented as alpha. Then newly accepted medical student was craving the same love that his parents had for each other and desperately looked for it. After ten years of unfruitful search he started to doubt in its existence.

Now, additional fourteen years later, he doesn't have a shred of doubt about it.

He entered the store intending to pick up his order, as he did many times before, but this time he wasn't the only customer. His tailor was pretty exclusive, fittings by appointment only and appointments by referral from current client, though there was the matter of gaining the approval of Eve herself. From the years he knew her, he saw the distinctive signs of her work on a very few people and only in the upper echelons of the society. She also didn't take on clients from outside of the city, she joked about having far too many clients within to begin looking outside.

Following that train of thought would mean that sweet William was new to Baltimore or a rich recluse. Usually Hannibal would already make plans, how to manipulate the beautiful omega to his advantage, but in this case he could not bring himself to do it. The thought about hurting this creature brought him almost physical pain. But the lack of manipulation on his part in this case doesn't mean not doing anything in his power to keep Will at his side… till the end of time.

* * *

><p>Will was momentarily blindsided with the urge to mate with this still unknown alpha, he couldn't even read anything from this man. It terrified him to a degree, that his body could betray him in this way and that it had even clouded his judgment for a moment.<p>

_It must've been the pheromones_, he thought. It was extremely suspicious that he couldn't observe anything more meaningful about the man before him, than the fact that he was rich, judging from the accent seemed to be foreign, from his build that he worked out. From his hands the fact that he is or at least used to be a surgeon, a musician or does or did something similar in the way that it required stable and well maintained hands. On one hand it intrigued him and on the other he was extremely frustrated, that he couldn't know what he wanted, what he knew about so many uninteresting people without effort.

It leaves the usual way of getting to know the other person, but will he be truthful? Can Will trust him? His body screamed YES! But his mind, now thankfully free from the initial confusion, was hammering at him that Hannibal was fake, that what he saw was just a front for something else. Something the alpha didn't want anyone to see and Will wasn't sure he would be allowed to see it either. The only thing his body and mind agreed on was that he had to try to get to know Hannibal. What will follow depends solely on the alpha's behavior as the omega won't let go of the opportunity of courtship with his biologically most compatible mate just because he can't read him.

"Hannibal, I have your order right here." Said Eve waiting for the alpha to come up to the counter, which he did after reluctantly excusing himself from Will. He picked up a mid-sized package wrapped in brown paper and held together with white woven string with a small card on the end.

Hannibal thanked Eve and quickly spotting the omega, who moved to another section of the store, began to move in his direction. Will after deciding that yes, the blue tie suited him better, _not because of the alpha's approval and complement about his complexion _or so he convinced himself, turned to browse belts. With his heat next month he's going to need some more.

The psychiatrist made way towards the omega, stopped right behind him to inhale more of the beautiful scent and waited to be acknowledged by him.

Will didn't hear but smelled the approaching alpha. He felt the brush of breath across the back of his neck and the heat seeping into his body even if they were not touching. Lecter was definitely not honoring his personal space but Will didn't have it in himself to deny the alpha, only because he felt _so good_.

The teacher eventually turned around and faced Hannibal, whose eyes hungrily devoured his face as one would a delicious meal after a long period of fasting.

"We just met and don't know much about each other, so allow me to remedy that by inviting you to dinner. That is if you're inclined?" Hannibal asked.

The writer didn't have to think hard on an answer as he already made his decision minutes earlier, right after meeting the alpha for the first time. He didn't want to seem to eager either, so he pretended to consider the proposal for a moment.

"I am. I will call you to set the date and time." Will agreed at the same time compelling Hannibal to bestow the omega with his phone number.

The alpha seemed pleased with the affirmative answer, but slightly surprised with how the teacher took control of the invitation.

Finally, still not breaking the intense eye contact he reached into his interior breast pocket and pulled out a crisp card. He deliberately grazed it against the underside of his wrist, covering it in his scent and then presented it to Will.

"I'll be waiting for your call." Said Hannibal again taking the writers hand in his and kissing the back of it. With that he seemed to gather himself for a miniscule moment, which untrained eye would have missed, but Will didn't, then almost delicately let go of the hand he still held in his own and made his way to the exit.


End file.
